Experts raise raise red flags on concerning side effect of crypto boom: 'Especially large scale'

Evidence suggests that cryptocurrency is leading bad actors to worsen Tajikistan's growing energy crisis.

What's happening?

According to The Diplomat, Tajikistan's prosecutor general Khabibullo Vokhidzoda called attention to widespread national electricity theft in August. 

He said illegal crypto mining operations cost Tajikistan over 30 million somoni (about $3 million) in the first six months of 2025 alone. 

In response, the prosecutor general's office is now pursuing five criminal charges against illegal crypto miners. 

The Diplomat cited Tajikistan's low electricity costs as one key motive for miners, who exploit the country's lack of cryptocurrency regulations. 

Miners will also establish illicit cryptomines in both residential and commercial buildings as a way to hide their activities, increasing energy costs for locals. 

Why does Tajikistan's illegal crypto mining issue matter?

The Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, updated daily, estimates that the global annual energy consumption of bitcoin alone is about 200 terawatt-hours. Using numbers provided by EnergyStar, that's enough to power approximately 56 coal-fired power plants.

Such energy-intensive activity has created a crisis in Tajikistan, which is already grappling with energy problems. 

The Central Asian country gets most of its power from glacier-fed hydropower, per The Diplomat. With the climate becoming more unstable and glaciers melting, Tajikistan has plunged into an energy crisis; the Times of Central Asia reported that hydropower reservoirs hit their lowest in over a decade in November.

Tajikistan already employs energy rationing to deal with this growing problem. In fact, some regions receive only two to four hours of power daily, according to The Times of Central Asia. Illegal crypto mining worsens this issue, further burdening citizens.

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While some cryptocurrency companies pair with renewable energy sources to reduce environmental impact, cryptomines have harmed communities worldwide. Even residents who live near legal cryptomines have dealt with constant noise and polluted air.

What's being done about energy theft in Tajikistan?

Tajikistan has criminalized electricity theft, according to The Diplomat. As a whole, the nation is pursuing 190 electricity theft cases.

"Offenses of an especially large scale or committed by an organized group or criminal organization are punishable by six to 10 years of imprisonment, and a ban on holding certain government roles or engaging in specific activities for up to five years," the publication explained. 

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